


Forever Endeavor

by ObliqueOptimism



Series: Life in the City [3]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Not Beta Read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-28 11:22:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20777741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObliqueOptimism/pseuds/ObliqueOptimism
Summary: Mr. Vitali got a phone call from the hospital. He hoped Klaus hadn't relapsed and while he hadn't, Mr. Vitali didn't like what had happened any better.





	Forever Endeavor

**Author's Note:**

> so wrote this all today, which is impressive for me. idk if its any good. and i want to do more in this 'verse so if anyone has prompts that you want to see feel free to suggest it

Ben hated being in the position he was in. It was one he was used to, but never liked. It wasn’t a position a normal person would be used to, but then most people weren’t childhood superheroes turned ghost who haunted their superhero ex-addict brothers. 

But Ben once again, found himself waiting alone for Klaus to wake up while he was in a hospital bed. 

What was unusual was that it wasn’t an overdose. No, Klaus had been in town, getting a coffee after some light shopping. He’d gotten a few new pieces of clothes and some make up. He’d been having a _good day_. 

Ben had been proud of his brother. He’d been with him for years. He’d watched, helpless, as Klaus spiraled further into drugs and depression. A few people helping him out once in a while, their siblings lending a hand rarely, when forced, and a stranger who owned a shop making the most difference in Klaus’s life. 

There was a large chance that without Mr. Vitali, Klaus would have died before Ben had. 

And then Ben saw Mr. Vitali do something he’d never seen before: he’d believed in Klaus. Not just in his personal strength and that one day he’d overcome his drug problem, but about Ben. Not even their siblings believed Klaus when he said Ben was around. It broke Ben’s heart, as they dismissed him and rolled their eyes and told him to stop being a dick. 

Klaus would always look to Ben when their family dismissed him. “It’s okay, Klaus. They’re just in mourning. They can’t see me, so it’s different for them.” When really he wanted to yell at them. Klaus sees the dead! Why would you assume that Ben wouldn’t haunt his brother’s ass and nag at him to get sober. 

But Mr. Vitali. A stranger who, even though Ben never knew what he was saying, obviously cared for Klaus.

Mr. Vitali would always speak italian with Klaus, and Klaus spoke it back. Ben couldn’t follow their conversations perfectly, not at first. Over the years he’d picked up a decent amount of the language simply by being around people who spoke it (he was maybe more fluent than Klaus was, since him speaking it was a subset of his ghost power). But what Ben _could_ follow was how Mr. Vitali treated Klaus. He was always sure to move slow and telegraph his movements, kept his voice from being too loud, and always looked at Klaus with a fond smile. He’d given so much to Klaus (friendship, a place to sleep, some shoes, a coat) without asking for anything beyond friendly companionship in return.

No one else had ever treated Klaus like that. 

Not even Ben.

And then, as per usual, Mr. Vitali entered the room.

He looked around the seemingly empty room and in thickly accented english, pointed to a chair, “I’ll be sitting here, Ben.” This was the first time he’d talked to Ben in english. But it was the first time since he realized only Klaus was fluent in italian (or so he thought). Ben smiled at the kind gesture. 

He’d always talk to Ben in times like this. 

He spoke to Ben a lot over the years. Once in a while when Klaus was otherwise _busy_ he’d check in on Mr. Vitali and found that when alone in his apartment he spoke to his family who had passed away. He told them of Ben and Klaus. 

Mr. Vitali let out a long sigh as he sat and then looked at Klaus. _Really looked at him_. And Ben looked at Mr. Vitali. _Really looked at him._

Mr. Vitali looked distraught as he took in Klaus, sleeping in the hospital bed.

_It had been a good day._

But Klaus was wearing a skirt again (with pockets!) and he’d sampled some of the make up at the store and was feeling very good about himself. Ben thought he looked good. Since getting sober he’d been looking better all the time.

Healthier.

Happier.

It showed.

It showed that this queer man was proud of who he was. Which some dickbags thought they needed to change that.

“I was told that some _cazzo di merda_ beat him up. I was also told he defended himself well but was outnumbered. Not to sound like I didn’t believe in him, Ben, but I had expected another overdose when I got called in. I am proud of him for being sober, _so proud_. He is my son, you both are, you know,” Mr. Vitali’s voice was quiet as he spoke.

“I know,” Ben said, even though he knew Mr. Vitali couldn’t hear him. 

“And I didn’t want him to have relapsed. I didn’t think he would, if I’m honest. How happy he was to help me see you. That was a man who would not easily give up letting you experience the world. But usually whenever I got called in it was for an overdose, as you know. You’ve been here each time along with me, for which I am grateful. Believe it or not, he did become happier after you were there for him. Not that he was happy you died, of course. There was a grieving period. But when you didn’t leave him? He was happier, less lonely. At the time the waif didn’t trust me fully.”

“I’m glad I helped him, Mr. Vitali. I was always worried that me haunting him made him go further into drugs. But if you say I helped, I believe you.” Mr. Vitali wouldn’t lie to either him or Klaus.

“But this?” Mr. Vitali shook his head, “This is worse. I’d always been called in for his overdoses, as you know. Once it was something else, some illness. I forget the specifics. But knowing that other people did this to him? I always felt powerless whenever I was here with you, waiting for him to wake, but I hadn’t known what powerless was. At least before I could try and get Klaus the help he needed so that I wouldn’t be called back in as his emergency contact but this was out of Klaus’s hands. _This was done to him._”

Ben understood. Whenever he saw Klaus beat up (or tortured) it was a new kind of helplessness. He couldn’t try and persuade Klaus into doing something else, it wasn’t Klaus’s decision. And then for it to have happened on _such a good day._

Ben wished he could get a hug from Mr. Vitali.

Mr. Vitali sighed, “I was surprised when I got the call. I had figured the waif would have changed his emergency contact to one of your siblings, now that you all are closer than before. That he would have changed it to his _real_ family.”

“You are his real family,” Ben said vehemently, hoping that through some magic that Mr. Vitali would hear him. “You were his first real family! We weren’t even a family as kids, but you! You gave him the unconditional love family is supposed to have! You _cared_ for him when he didn’t care for himself.”

_Mr. Vitali didn’t hear him._

“Speaking of your family,” Mr. Vitali got up and made his way to the table where Klaus’s possessions were, “I should call one of them and let them know what happened.” 

Ben watched as he grabbed Klaus’s phone. Thankfully it was a flip phone, no need to know a password to get in. Klaus had a flip phone because that’s what Mr. Vitali had bought him. Klaus had cherished the phone, taking good care of it and keeping it charged most of the time. Mr. Vitali scrolled through the contacts, “Luther is the one I spoke to before, right? The big _cretino_.” Ben knew he used to term fondly. 

“Yeah, the big guy” Ben said. “Number One, himself.”

Mr. Vitali held the phone up to his ear, “Hello? Luther? This is Mr. Vitali. We met -- yes. Of course. I’m calling because Klaus is in the hospital. _No_. I am his emergency contact. Well you’ll have to ask him when he wakes up if it really bothers you that it’s me.” His voice was getting tight. Ben could only imagine what Luther was saying on the other side of the phone. “Why don’t you and any of your living siblings come and be here for your brother. It would be nice, if for once in his life, Klaus woke up to someone other than myself and Ben. _Of course Ben is here._”

Ben grinned. That was Mr. Vitali. Believing in Ben even when he hadn’t been told Ben hadn’t been around. 

“If it bothers you so much you should do things to change it. Things like being here for him when he wakes!” Mr. Vitali hung up on Luther. 

“How did your brother make that phone call about himself?” Mr. Vitali said, setting the phone back down before following suit and reclaiming his chair. 

Ben didn’t have a response for Mr. Vitali. Not that he would’ve heard Ben if he did know what to say.

Luther arrived, alone, about a half an hour later. 

As soon as he entered, he froze. _”What happened?”_

Ben looked at Klaus. 

He was beaten black and blue, one eye swollen shut, a cast on his arm, oxygen hose being fed through his nose. It was clear that someone beat the shit out of him. And that was just what could be seen from the doorway.

Ben had been glad that the barista took a smoking break when they did. That they saw Klaus in the alley and called for help. 

“Klaus got himself in a bit of trouble. At the coffee shop he was being harassed and then was found later, in the alley beside the shop. The men had followed him and showed him what they really thought of him. Klaus put one of them in the ER,” Mr. Vitali answered. He then looked beyond Luther, “No one else going to show up, huh?”

Luther shrugged and lumbered further in the room, “We thought that maybe he had relapsed and didn’t need all of us here for--”

_”I told you he hadn’t relapsed,”_ Ben had never heard Mr. Vitali sound so mad. “I told you!”

Luther nodded absently as he sat down, “You did. Sorry. He was harassed? Why?” Luther looked lost at hearing the news.

Mr. Vitali took a calming breath, “He had been wearing a skirt and make up. The comments the barista had heard was pointed at his appearance. _This was a hate crime._”

Luther opened and closed his mouth a few times, gathering his thoughts. “Maybe he should stop dressing that way in public. If this is what happens when--”

“What the fuck, Luther!” Ben yelled at his brother. 

Mr. Vital glared, “_How dare you!_ How dare you suggest that this is Klaus’s fault! He has been wearing dresses since I’ve known him and he shouldn’t stop because some small brained _figlio di puttana_ did this!”

“You tell him!” Ben cheered. He should have known Mr. Vitali would have their back and would yell at Luther when Ben couldn’t.

It seemed as if Mr. Vitali was just getting started, which didn’t surprise Ben any, “Klaus is a strong man! He will bounce back from this and not let it get him down. If you think this is the first time he’s been harassed for being himself you are stupider than I thought. Klaus has always faced people not liking him or taking advantage of him over the years and he did so with the grace of my Rosa. If you think that he should change himself because some _brutto figlio di puttana bastardo_ thought he knew better, thought he should teach Klaus a lesson of hatred and shame? _No!_” 

Mr. Vitali got up and pointed a finger at Luther, the older man looking dwarfed by Ben’s brother but not backing down, “You will be there for Klaus and you will support him or you will get out of this room right now! You want to know why you aren’t his emergency contact? Because you have not proven yourself to be family. _Klaus is my family! And I will do my best to protect him from anyone who wants to put him in the gutter!_”

“Aw, Mr. Vitali, stop picking on the big lug. Whatever he did, he didn’t mean it,” Klaus’s voice was quiet but cut through the air.

Everyone turned to stare at the bed. Klaus’s one eye was open and a grin tugged at his face.

“You are too forgiving,” Mr. Vitali replied, walking back over to sit next to Klaus. 

“He was right to yell at Luther,” Ben agreed. “It was a sight to behold.”

“Yeah?” Klaus turned his head to look at Ben, “Was it like the time he yelled at me after I stole that police dog? The puppy in training? Or when I fell asleep in the dumpster behind the shop?”

“More impressive,” Ben said. He remembered both incidents. Mr. Vitali did lecture Klaus both times. The police dog was more exasperated while the dumpster was full of worry. Klaus had said he came to stay the night but then the shop was closed by the time he showed up. It was after that when Mr. VItali bought Klaus the phone with prepaid minutes.

Klaus raised his eyebrows, “Wow. That would be something to see.”

“It was more like when he yelled at your for telling off the drug lord who was trying to start a protection racket with Mr. Vitali,” Ben supplied.

Klaus shuddered, “Ah yes, I remember that.”

“Yeah, _that_ but more,” Ben smirked.

“Luther,” Mr. Vitali turned to him, “you're still young. You go fetch the doctor and tell them that Klaus woke up. They’ll want to know.” His tone left left no room for argument.

Luther nodded jerkily, “Yes sir.”

They waited until he left before saying anything more.

“Did you really mean that?” Klaus asked, voice hesitant and small, “That I’m your family?”

Mr. Vitali took Klaus’s hand in his, “You’re a bigger _idiota_ than your brother if you hadn’t figured that out yet. You think I treat all street urchins like you? Ha! No. _Only my family._”

Klaus started crying quietly. It may have taken three decades but Ben got to see the moment that Klaus not only had someone who would always be in his corner and always be there to help him whenever he stumbled, but when Klaus could _believe it._

Talk about a sight to behold.

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on tumblr @ obliqueoptimism


End file.
